IF YOUR KID IS HOME TODAY IN DOUGCO, BLAME THE UNION And not all kids are home today. At least some charter schools are operating as they should today in Douglas County, while other kids will be "behind together" as the union urged a sick out day today that is keeping kids home. Read about how one quarter of the teaching professionals hung the students out to dry here. That's right, there are roughly 4,400 licensed educators in our workforce and less than one fourth of them called in sick. Because they didn't get their way in the last election. I believe it's because they are being spoon fed a false narrative by the unions and haven't done any checking on their own.
DOUGCO CHARTERS SCHOOLS MAY BE IN SESSION TODAY As some of them are fully staffed and open. Funny how that works. I'd love to know if your kids charter is open today. Mine is.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THE NEW EQUITY RESOLUTION IN DOUGCO FOR A HOT MINUTE Because this morning I heard a TEACHER from DougCo say on Colorado's Morning News that the Board "changed" the equity policy and now it would affect her ability to teach about slavery and the Reconstruction and LITERALLY NOTHING ABOUT THAT IS TRUE. NOTHING. You can read the old policy by clicking here. Now read the new resolution here. Pay close attention to this part of the new resolution.
WHEREAS, our American aspirations have not always been achieved, to include, for example, the horrors of race-based slavery and segregation, and that this understanding has been and will continue to be a part of every child’s education in the Douglas County School District; and (emphasis mine)
WHEREAS, alongside these shortcomings, the United States continues to shine as a beacon for unprecedented individual freedom, equality of opportunity, and prosperity for people from all over the world, and that this understanding has been and will continue to be a part of every child’s education in the Douglas County School District; and
Obviously this social studies teacher hasn't taken the time to read the resolution, because what she's saying today is utterly and totally wrong.
JEFFCO PARENTS, IT'S TIME TO BE HEARD ON THE STUPID STUDENT MASK MANDATE And it is TONIGHT. Right now, all the players are lining up to end the stupid mask mandate for kids. I got this via email today:
Hello Jeffco neighbors!
"It's complicated"…but it's going to be announced soon. I promise there is still BIGGER news to come. A press release has not happened due to some legal issues to address. It IS related to the Jeffco-Community-in-Distress pdf that I sent a while ago. I've re-attached in case I didn't include you in the last email.
While you wait for that to become public, here here is a little update that explains the attached image.
A bipartisan effort to remove masks was evident at the Elected Officials' meeting this morning 2/2/2022. Attached is an email sent to the Board of Health yesterday from Treasurer DiTullio. I wanted to share because he specifically advocated for students. Also, Mayor Mark Williams (Arvada), Lesley Dahlkemper, Kraft-Tharp (of course Kerr said nothing), Mayor Adam Paul (Lakewood), Susan Miller only conservative voice on BOE (a given), Superintendent Dorland, Walker-head of public libraries, and Jansen Tidmore from Economic Development Association all spoke clearly and absolutely about the mask mandates ending. Dorland was concise and absolute as she stated that JPS is not ok with children being treated differently than adults. She also said that the quarantine stipulation is not necessary as the data shows the benefit is minimal to 0. A hopefully meeting. Board of Health was present as well.
If anyone can show up Thursday to the BOE meeting, in person or virtually, PLEASE do. We hope to fill all the overflow spaces.The BOH wants to get more data before unmasking kids, even though all surrounding counties are doing so Friday! We are hoping the BOE will hear the pleas! The BOH was audacious enough to suggest four more weeks, ugh!
Here is how you can log in and find address to attend in person:
https://www.jeffcopublicschools.org/about/board/board_meetings
* REGULAR BUSINESS MEETINGS, 6 P.M., BOARD ROOM, 5TH FLOOR:
February 3,. *Each regular meeting is preceded by a 5 p.m. study or executive session, unless otherwise noted on the meeting agenda.
Live stream: https://livestream.com/accounts/10429076/events/3542310
So if you want to end the mask mandate in JeffCo schools, here's your chance.
THANK GOD IT'S THIRSTY THURSDAY AND DRY JANUARY IS OVER Because I for real need a drink after this week. Luckily The Wine Yogi has everything you need to create a magical Valentine's Day for your sweetie. Read all about it and go visit the vendors by clicking here!
NEARLY HALF OF DENVER HOMICIDES WERE COMMITTED BY PEOPLE UNDER COURT SUPERVISION And this story (sorry, not sorry it's paywalled, subscribe to the Denver Gazette already) has some shocking details about just how lax our criminal justice system has gotten when it comes to keeping offenders off the streets. From the Denver Gazette article:
Most of the arrests of those on probation were being supervised for convictions in courts outside Denver.
Voorhis was convicted of nine criminal charges in Jefferson and Arapahoe counties between 2018 to 2021 yet he still was allowed to remain out on the streets on probation. He choked a girlfriend, pistol whipped a man and threatened three others with a handgun, police reports state. He broke the eye socket of a fellow inmate who asked if he would trade some peanut butter for a meal tray. Yet he got chance after chance despite failing to comply with probation terms that required him to submit to regular check-ins, drug and alcohol testing and inpatient drug treatment.
“If they had done their job, my friend would be alive,” said Rhodes, who also contends that four days before Voorhis allegedly killed his friends, Voorhis broke into Rhodes’ apartment, threatened to shoot him in the face with a .380 caliber Glock handgun and kicked him out of the apartment. He blames the judicial system, probation officers and police for failing to heed the warning signs that Voorhis was a danger.
Is this okay with you? It's not okay with me. I've got the stories authors Julia Cardi and Chris Osher on today at 1:35 to discuss.
DEMOCRATS WILL KILL A BILL TO REQUIRE A SUPERMAJORITY TO PASS FEES Because the new game around TABOR (the Taxpayers Bill of Rights) is calling taxes "fees" a Republican member of the Legislature tried to make it harder to pass fees. The bill in question would have required a supermajority to pass new fees and the Democrats will kill it on a party line vote in the Kill Committee.
RANCHERS NEED YOU TO KNOW WHAT WOLF REINTRODUCTION REALLY LOOKS LIKE And it looks like dead cows and dogs ripped to shreds by the pack of wolves that are already here, even as city folk voted to let more of them destroy property and pets. This column is heartbreaking.
ANOTHER SCHOOL DISTRICT GOES TO PARENT CHOICE ON MASKING And they are falling like dominoes now. Read more here.
THIS IS A LOVELY COLUMN ON DATING A WIDOWER And as we have many of you in the audience that may face this situation I thought I'd share. Widowers, you'd do well to read it as well and see if you are getting in the way of your own happiness.
FREE LUNCH AND BREAKFAST FOR EVERY KID? That's a bill in the Colorado Legislature right now. They want to eliminate income requirements for free and reduced lunch by just giving every kid free breakfast and lunch instead. I really don't care about this. I know from past experience that it's not that hard to get on the program, but if they want to take more money out of the classroom to feed kids whose parents make way more than the teachers, that's fine with me. The only thing I want to know is how this affects the federal dollars that we get for every kid on free or reduced lunch. The rules around federal reimbursement are numerous and cumbersome and I fear that this move could somehow screw all this up.
THIS LITTLE GIRL IS READY TO OPEN HER NEW PIZZERIA Because she already knows how to deal with a troublemaking customer without the receipt. I love her.
THE NEXT TIME A YOUNG FEMINIST TELLS YOU HOW SEXIST THE US IS Please show them this story about the outrage in India over a new law that outlaws marital rape. So far the new law has been blocked, meaning it's perfectly fine for a husband to rape his wife if he wants. Perspective is important.
IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND NUISANCE GATORS PLEASE DON'T WEIGH IN Alligators are big, dumb dinosaurs but when they get big and lose their healthy fear of humans they are very, very dangerous. One such gator was just taken out by a renowned hunter and of course the internet had to weigh in on how the gator should have been moved to a zoo or some such nonsense. Y'all, alligators are EVERYWHERE in Florida, they are not remotely endangered on any level and when one weighs nine hundred pounds and is taking down cows, it must be dealt with. Stay in your animal loving lanes.
HAS THE EPIC PASS BECOME AN EPIC FAIL? As a non skier I don't know enough about what is happening on the slopes to comment on this, but Paula Noonan has written a SCATHING column calling out Vail Resorts for the disastrous management of the resorts while simultaneously overselling passes that they can't handle. Are things really this bad?
REMEMBER WHEN THE LAB LEAK THEORY WAS A CONSPIRACY THEORY? This video does and it's quite telling. No wonder we don't believe the media and everyone believes Joe Rogan.
BARSTOOL SPORTS'S DAVID PORTNOY IS BAD AT SEX AND HE'S MAD WOMEN ARE TALKING ABOUT IT This story is distasteful on so many levels. Do I believe the women in this story? Yep. Do I think they have some culpability here? Yep. They banged him in the hopes it would help themselves and then he's bad at sex and they regret it. Now they are spilling the tea and Portnoy is mad and embarrassed. He should be embarrassed. The lesson here is that porn sex, which it's obvious Portnoy thinks is real sex, is NOT REAL SEX and should not be emulated unless you have long conversations with your partner beforehand.
FEELING LONELY? DO THESE THINGS TO FIGHT IT I LOVE these ideas to combat loneliness although I am confused as to why we need to suggest these things in the first place. Having to tell someone to ASK someone if they'd like to hang out seems like we've lost our way entirely, but it's in this column as well.
AND NOW, A COCKATIEL PLAYING PEEK A BOO
YOU KNOW WHAT WE NEED TODAY? A GUY MAKING SUPER COMPLEX HAND SHADOW PUPPETS